Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Typically, when a user device requires the reproduction of a document, such as by printing or scanning the document, the user device must have a local connection to an image forming apparatus with such reproduction capabilities. Such a connection is usually a direct connection, such as a universal serial bus (USB) connection or a Bluetooth wireless connection, to the user device on which the document is stored. An alternative method involves connecting through a local area network (LAN), typically directed through a router. This can occur wirelessly, using Wi-Fi, or in a wired manner, using Ethernet cables, for example.
In many environments, however, user devices may not have direct access to an image forming apparatus to reproduce the document. Many locations, such as homes, may not have such devices as printers or scanners at all. Furthermore, in certain educational settings, user devices may not have the requisite permissions to utilize certain school or campus apparatuses to reproduce documents.
Additionally, in many settings, it may be useful to share certain documents between user devices, possibly obviating the need to reproduce them at all. Students in classrooms, for example, may need to submit homework for grading. One method to accomplish this task is for the student to print out the homework, and turn in a physical copy to the instructor. Perhaps these users (students) do not have immediate access to such a printing device to reproduce their homework document.
A utility that would allow the sharing of documents within groups, especially when coupled with the ability to print those documents at various printers shared by group members, would more efficiently utilize image forming apparatuses.